Telephone-carrier.



J. A; McKNIGHT.

Patented Feb. 13, 191?.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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J. A. McKNlGH T.

TELEPHONE CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15. I915- Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

flue/am James J J. A. McKNIGHT.

TELEPHONE CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15, 1915.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

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J. A. McKNlGHT.

TELEPHONE CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. [5. 1915.

L23]. 6., 1 53. Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

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JZUenZZr 15 j Fig fiiaz r W J. A. McKNIGHT.

TELEPHONE CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED Nov.15. I915.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

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5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

IYIIII allllll JAMES AUGUSTUS McKNIGI-IT, 0F JEFFERSONVILLE, INDIANA.

TELEPHONE-CARRIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

Application filed November 15, 1915. Serial No. 81,727.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES A. MoKNIeH'r. a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jeifersonville, in the county of Clark and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telephone-Carriers; and I do hereby declare that the fol-' lowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a novel carrier or case for use by telephone construction companies in which to transport telephone sets to places of installment and for carr mg telephone sets from the vehicle to the place of installment, and also to novel means for carrying the cases in a vehicle.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel carrier for this purpose and means for carrying it in a vehicle so constructed and arranged as to receive a number of sets of telephones, not separately cartoned or packaged, and to permit a case containing a number of telephone sets to be removed as a whole from the vehicle and carried to the place of installation of the telephones, and also to permit one or more of the sets to be readily removed from the case in the event that the entire number contained in the case are not to be installed at a given place.

A. further object of the invention is to provide a simple and economical case for this purpose which may be readily constructed of commercial metal bars and plates and which, when assembled, is strong and durable.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for retaining or holding the telephone sets, including the battery boXes, in the case, so constructed as to avoid injury of the parts by chafing, and thereby avoid the necessity of separately cartoning or wrapping the parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel means for supporting the cases on the vehicle, so constructed and arranged as to afford a reliable connection of the cases to the vehicle structure, while at the same time permitting them to be readily detached from the vehicle.

@ther objects of the invention are to simplify and improve devices for transportation of telephone sets, and the invention consists in the arrangement and construction of the parts shown in the drawings and described in the specification and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a partial side elevation and partial section of a motor vehicle equipped with my novel telephone carrying cases, with the inner closing curtains omitted.

Fig. 2 is a partial rear end view and partial vertical section thereof.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section of one of the cases and the associated supporting post of the vehicle body.

Fig. i is a horizontal section on the line 4;-i of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective detail of the devices for confining the swinging sides of the cases to the body posts.

Fig. 6 is an outer side elevation, partly broken away, of one of the cases and its suspending frame.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal horizontal section on the line 77 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the boX supporting shelves or casing partitions.

Fig. 9 is a detail of one of the ets for supporting the cases.

Fig. 10 is a side view, partly broken away, of a case designed more especially for carrying wall and pay telephones.

Fig. 11 is a vertical section thereof on the line 11 11 of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of one of the dividing partitions of said case.

Fig. 13 is a cross section on the line 1313 of Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is a front elevation of a modified form of case adapted for carrying the same kind of telephone sets as described in connection with Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive, with the closing doors thereof omitted.

Fig. 15 is a vertical section thereof on the line 15-15 of Fig. 14.

Fig. 16 is a detail of the doors for the latter case.

Fig. 17 is av cross section on the line ]717 of Fig. 16. g

Figs. 18 and 19 are details of another form of holder for the battery box.

The cases shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are designated as a whole by 1( and are adapted to be supported on the top-supporting posts 11 of the vehicle 12. In accordance with a preferred arrangement two cases are carried at each side of the vehicle, the upper cases being suspended from the posts by post brackmeans permitting them to be swung inwardly toward the top 13 of the vehicle and there locked in position, if desired, and the two lower cases to be swung downwardly toward the fioor 14 of the vehicle.

The cases 10 each comprise a lower compartment 22 to receive the telephones and their receivers, 23, 24-, respectively, and an upper compartment 26 to receive the battery boxes 27. The compartments 22 and 26 are separated by a shelf 28 which constitutes a support for the boxes 27. The case consists of a solid back wall 29, top and bottom walls, 30, 31, respectively, and end walls 82, and it may be closed at its inner open side by a suitable curtain 33 (Fig. 3).

Each case is braced at its inner open side by standards 38 which are screw-threaded at their ends 39. The lower ends of the standards are fastened to the bottom wall 31 of the case by means of upper and lower nuts, 40, L0 which are screw-threaded to the lower ends of the standards and which fit above and below the said bottom wall to clamp the standards to the wall, and other nuts 4.1, 4-1 are screw-threaded to the upper ends of the standards to, in like manner, fasten the standards to the upper wall 30 of the case.

The shelf 28 is provided at its ends with flanges -l2 which are riveted to the end walls of the case. The said shelf is additionally fastened at its outer edge to the case by means of lugs e3 which are adapted to extend through slits in the rear or outer wall of the case, the lugs being adapted to be split with portions thereof bent upwardly and other portions bent downwardly to lock the shelf to the back wall. The shelf is apertured at its inner margin to receive the standards 38 and is supported at its inner edge on said standards between the upper and lower nuts d5, 15, the lower nuts being permanently brazed or otherwise secured to the standards and the upper nuts being slipped over the standards after the standards are threaded through the apertures of the shelf and brazed or otherwise fixed to the standards to thereby clamp the inner edge of the shelf between said nuts. The shelf 28 is off-set at 46 to receive the off-set lower part d7 of the boxes 27 and the said shelf and inner side of the outer wall of the casing are preferably covered with a cushioning lining i8, such as plush, to prevent rubbing or chafing of the boxes 27 against the case shelf or walls.

The telephone stands and receivers, are secured in the lower compartment 22 by means of spring supporting clamps 50. The clamp for each set may be made of a single piece of metal bent to form twin clamps having sockets 51, 52, respectively, to receive the stand of the telephone and the receiver, and they are flared inwardly at 53 to permit the telephone stand and receiver to be readily inserted into the sockets, the clamps springing outwardly to permit them to enter the sockets and springing backwardly to hold them in the sockets. The said clamps 50 may be riveted to brackets and to the back wall 29 of the casing in the manner shown in Fig. 4%.

The said boxes 27 are held on the shelves 28 by means of spring devices consisting, in this instance, of a main spring and a short auxiliary spring 61, the latter attached at its ends to the main spring to form a loop. The main spring 60 is provided at its ends with eyes (32, (32. Said springs are preferably made of relatively light spiral spring wire and may be covered in their parts which engage the boxes with rubber tubing. One of the spring eyes (32 may be attached to a screw hook 6% (Fig. that is fixed to the rear wall of the casing opposite to one of the standards 38, while the other eye (32 is adapted to be attached to a heck GS of a fitting (39 that is suitably mounted on the squared portion of a horizontal rod which extends between one of the standards 38 and the rear or outer wall of the case. The said rod is herein shown as fixed in place by being provided at one end with a reduced screw-threaded portion 71 that extends through the back wall of the casing and fixed thereto by a nut 72. The other end of the rod fits into a cut away portion 73 of the adjacent standard and attached to said standard by a countersunk screw T4 which extends through the standard and into a screw-threaded axial opening in the rod 70. Said rod 70 is provided with a series of ratchet teeth 75 which are adapted to be engaged by the tooth of a spring pawl '76 that is attached in any suitable manner to the upper side of the fitting 69. The fitting is provided with a depending finger piece 78 by which it may be shifted endwise of the rod 70.

lVith the construction described, when the box is placed on the shelf 28, the main spring (30 with its loop (31 is applied to the top of the box so that the main spring passes over the top of the box against the bells 79 and with the auxiliary or loop spring engaged over the front of the box near its top. Thereafter the eye 62 at the free end of the spring is engaged over the hook 68 of the fitting 69 and said fitting is shifted outwardly on the rod 7 0 to place said spring under tension and to therethrough exert outward and downward pressure on the box to force the latter outwardly against the outer wall of the case and downwardly against the shelf. The spring pawl 76, engages the ratchet teeth 75 to hold said fitting in any position of adjustment in which it is placed. When the box is to be removed the spring pawl 76 is released from the ratchet teeth I thereby releasing the tension of the holding springs 60,61 so that one of the screw eyes 62 may be readily detached from its associated hook 6-1 or (38 to thereby release the boX.

The case may be arranged to contain a number of telephone sets convenient to be carried in a filled case. As herein shown the cases are each arranged to receive and hold eight sets.

A convenient mode of suspending the cases on the standards or posts 11 of the vehicle consists in setting each of the cases in a braced carrying or suspension frame, designated as a whole by 80, having vertical end pieces 81 connected by oblique cross braces 82 and top and bottom ledges or flanges 83, 83 between which the case is placed. The said frame may be attached to the case by means of the middle attaching shelf lug 43 which is made long enough to extend through the central slit in the back wall and through a registering slit in the carrying frame.

The carrying frames for the upper cases (one at each side of the body) are provided with J-shaped hanger fittings 87 which are riveted or otherwise secured to the frames at the upper corners thereof. Said hangers are adapted to engage over horizontal members of general V-shaped brackets 89 which are attached to the posts 11 near the upper ends of the latter. The horizontal members of said brackets are screw-threaded at their ends and extend through apertures in the bodies of the posts and are attached thereto by nuts 90. The other or oblique members of the brackets are provided with centering lugs 91 which engage holes in the bodies of the posts, whereby the brackets are fixed in place.

The hanger frames are provided at the corners of their sides opposite to the hooked fittings 87 with grooved L-shaped fittings which are riveted or otherwise secured to the end members of the suspension frames and engage the posts 11 near the vertical centers thereof. The slotted hook-shaped ends 95 of said fitting engage said posts 11 in the manner shown in Fig. 5, and are re movably attached to said posts by bolts 97 which extend through the posts and through the slotted fittings and are secured thereto by wing nuts 98. lVhen the cases are to be disconnected from the posts, the wing nuts are screwed backwardly sufficiently to allow the heads of the bolts to pass the shorter" slotted lugs 96 of the hook shaped connections so that the slotted fittings may pass away from the bolts when the cases are swinging inwardly. hen the connections are in the positions shown in Fig. 5 and the wing nuts are tightened, said cases are prevented from swinging inwardly or moving longitudinally relatively to the body.

The lower cases 10 are supported on the posts 11 by generally similar fittin s, but reversed. The hanger frames of the lower cases are provided at their lower corners with hook shaped fittings 98 having downwardly opening hooks that engage over bolts 100 which are attached in any suitable man-- ner to the vehicle body near the fioor thereof. The said hanger frames for the lower cases are provided near their upper sides with fittings similar to the fittings above re ferred to which are attached to the posts 11 near the like fittings for the upper cases. When. the wing nuts for the said fittings for the lower cases are released, said lower cases are free to swing down "ardly tov-iard the fioor of the vehicle body whereby the hooks 98 may be disengaged from the lugs or bolts 100 to permit the removal of the lower cases.

As shown in Figs. 10 to 13, inclusive, the case is designed to contain three telephone sets, and is divided into three compartuiients 109 by partitions 110 which extend up wardly from the bottom of the casing but terminate a distance short of the top thereof (Fig. 11). hey are provided at their rear edges with lugs 111, 112, which extend outavardly through the rear wall of the casing, and the lug 112 may be made of suflicient length to extend through the suspending frame 113 by which the case is supported. Said frame may be made generally like the frame shown in Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive, and is provided with upper and lower flanges 11%, 115, respectively, between which the case sets. The frame is provided at its upper side with suspending hooks 116, and at its lower side with connections 117, similar to those hereinbefore described.

The said partitions 110 may be wrapped at their inner edges, as shown at 118, about standards 119 which extend from and are attached at their ends to the top and bottom walls of the case at the front edges thereof, like the standards shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 6. Extending between said standards and the rear wall of the case are horizontal ratchet rods 120 on which are mounted to slide fittings 122 provided with spring pawls 123 for engagement with the ratchet teeth on said rods and which cooperate with the spring holding devices 12-1 to hold the battery boxes 125 in place in the same general manner as indicated in said Fig. 1. In this event no shelf is required for the box 125, inasmuch as said box and the transmitter 126 as well as the shelf or bracket 127', are fastened to a back board or support 130 that lies along the back of the case. The bottom wall of the case and its suspending frame are notched. at 131 to re ceive the lower edge of the back board and the lower portion of the bracket or shelf 127. The case may be closed at its front open side by any suitable closing device (not shown).

shown in Figs. 14- to 19 inclusive, the case consists of end walls 13 i, a rear wall, 135, a top wall 136, and a bottom wall 137. Said case is supported by the same kind of suspension frame 138 as hereinbefore referred to and need not be further described.

T he case shown in Fig. ll is divided into a plurality of compartments by partitions 1 10. The case is likewise provided with a shelf 14:2 for supporting the battery boxes said shelf being generally like that shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and divides the case into upper and lower compartments. The upper and lower c mpartments thus formed between the partitions and by said shelf are closed by doors iiuiividual to the compartments, the upper doors being designated by 14:13 and the lower doors by lull. They are hinged to the upper and lower walls of the also and close toward each other. Thereby each compartment is separately accessible. The partitions may be connected to the back wall of the case in the same manner as the shelf and, the front edges thereof are pressed to form a T 1%), to produce suitable 'flashings for the doors. ..t will be understood that the partitions are not continuous but may extend from the shelf, to which they are attached by a flanged connection, to the upper and lower walls respectively of the case. Conversely the partitions may be continuous and the shelf made up in sections and attached to the partitions. The shelf is provided at its front edge with a flange 14.6 suihciently wide to accommodate a series of button fasteners 1-17. As herein shown the lower doors 1H are first swung upwardly to their closed positions and the upper doors are thereafter swung downwardly with their lower edges over the upper edges of the lower doors, the lower edges of said upper doors being turned outwardly to permit said doors to overlap with smooth,

In the construction presentable joints. Said doors are provided at their edges with registering apertures through which the fastening buttons 1&7 may extend, the doors being fastened by turning the elongated button heads ninety degrees, as will be obvious.

The telephone stands and receivers are supported in the lower compartments by the same kinds of spring brackets as are shown in Fig. 1. I have, however, shown a modification of the means for holding the battery boxes in place on the shelf. The modified holding means consists of a set of three springs 151 of the shape shown in F 18 and 19, one of which is fastened to each side wall of each compartment and one to the top wall of said compartment. The free ends of the springs are shouldered at 152 to engage over the sides and top of the back board of the battery box and are inclined at 153 to permit the box to be forced past the shouldered portions thereof so as to permit said shouldered portions to snap into locking engagement with the back board of the box. Obviously slight outward pressure on the springs serves to release them from the box to permit the box to be removed. The shelf is cut away at 155 to permit the passage of the telephone cords 156 which extend from the upper to the lower compartinei'its. the compartments have spring hinges which hold the doors upwardly to permit ready access to the upper compartments and the battery boxes therein.

It will be understood that the illustrated embodiment of my invention may be varied from the structural details herein shown within the spirit and scope of the claims hereto appended, and that it is the intent to claim all of the inherent novelty shown in the drawings and described in the specifica-' tion.

1 claim as my invention:

1. Means for transporting telephone sets comprising, in combination with a vehicle body provided with upright posts, upper and lower cases supported on said posts at each side of the body by supporting means which permit detachment of the cases from said posts, each case comprising upper and lower compartments, means in one of the compartments for separately and removably sustaining telephones complete with their receivers and means in the other compartment for separately and removably supporting a series of battery boxes, wiereby a series of telephone sets may be carried in a detached case or may be sepa "ately removed from the case.

2. .Means for transporting telephone sets comprising, in combination with a vehicle body, upper and lower cases supported at each side of the body by supporting means which permit detachment of the cases from said body, a shelf in each case dividing it into upper and lower compartments, means associated with the shelf in the upper coinpartment to detachably and separately support a plurality of battery boxes therein and a series of clamps in the lower compartment to receive and removably support a plurality of telephone stands complete with their receivers.

33. Means for transporting telephone sets comprising, in combination with a vehicle Preferably the upper doors of body provided at its sides with upright,

posts, and upper and lower cases at each side of the vehicle body, the upper cases being provided at their upper sides, and the lower cases provided at their lower sides, with supporting hooks, fixed suspension brackets on the body to engage said hooks, fittings attached to the lower sides of the upper cases and to the upper sides of the lower cases, with means to detachably engage them with said posts to normally hold the cases against the posts, but permitting them to swing toward the center of the body, and means to separately and removably support telephone sets in said cases.

Means for transporting telephone sets comprising, in combination with a vehicle body provided at its sides with upright posts, and upper and lower cases at each side of the vehicle body, the upper cases being provided at their upper sides and the lover cases provided at their lower sides with supporting hooks, fixed suspension brackets on the body to engage said hooks, slotted hooked fittings attached to the lower sides of the upper cases and upper sides of the lower cases, bolts extending through the posts and slotted fittings, nuts screwed to said bolts and means to separately and removably support telephone sets in said cases.

6. A case adapted for transporting telephone sets provided with a shelf dividing the case into an upper and a lower compart- 'ment, said shelf being adapted to support the telephone battery boxes, means to separately and removably confine said boxes on the shelf, means in the lower compartment to separately support therein telephone stands complete with their receivers, said latter means for each set comprising twin clamps having sockets to receive the stand and receiver, and means to detachably suspend the case on a vehicle, whereby the case with the contained telephone sets may be removed therefrom.

7. A case for use with a vehicle for transporting telephone sets provided with means to separately and removably support telephone sets therein, said case being provided at one side with supporting hooks adapted to engage supporting brackets on the vehicle body and provided at the other side thereof with slotted fittings adapted to engage the vehicle body to hold the case in upright position while permitting it to swing inwardly on said hooks and to be removed from the body to'serve as a carrier for all of the contained telephone sets.

8. A case adapted for transporting telephone sets comprising outer side, end, top and bottom walls and open at its inner side, a

FED.

shelf within the case dividing it in upper and lower compartments, upright rods fixed to said top and bottom walls, means to attach. the shelf to said. rods and to the end and side walls of the case, said shelf serving as a support for telephone battery boxes, with means associated therewith to hold the boxes against said shelf and the side wall of the case, and means in the lower compartment to removably receive and hold the telephone stands, complete with their receivers.

9. A case adapted for transporting telephone sets comprising outer side, end,-top and bottom walls, and, open at its inner side, a shelf within the case dividing it in upper and lower compartments, upright rods fixed to said top and bottom walls, means to attach the shelf to said rods and to the end and side walls of the case, said shelf serving as a support for telephone battery bones, with means associated there *ith to hold the boxes against said shelf and the Side wall of the case, means in the lower compartment to removaby receive and hold telephone stands, complete with their receivers and means to close the open side of said case.

10 A case for transporting telephone sets which is open at one side and closed at the other side and at its top, bottom and ends, a shelf attached to the end and outer side walls of the case, and dividing the case into an upper and a lower compartment, brace rods at the open side of the case attached to the top and bottom walls, said shelf being perforated for the passage of said brace rods, me ns on the brace rods above and below said shelf for fixedly holding the free edge of the shelf to the rods, means for removably securing battery boxes in the upper compartment and means for removably supporting telephone stands, complete with their receivers, in the lower compartment.

ll. In a case for transporting telephone sets, a shelf therein to support the telephone battery boxes, elastic holding devices attachod to the casing and applied over the boxes to hold the same in place and pawl and ratchet devices associated with said elastic holding devices to hold said boxes against said shelf and the wall of the case.

12. In a case for transporting telephone sets, means to support a telephone set therein, and elastic holding devices to engage the telephone sets to removably hold them therein, and pawl and ratchet devices associated with said elastic holding means for the purposes set forth.

13. In a case for transporting telephone sets, a shelf to support the telephone boxes, and means for holding said boxes against the side wall and said shelf each comprising an elastic main spring to pass over the top of the box and a shorter auxiliary loop spring to pass over the side of the box, one end of the main spring being attached to the case and an adjustable device attached at the other end of the main spring to adjust the tension of the main and auxiliary spring device on the box.

l l. A telephone case open at one side, a shelf to support the telephone battery boxes therein, vertical brace rods extending across the open side of the case, horizontal ratchet rods attached to said. vertical rods and to the ease to divide the ease into a plurality of sections, fittings slidable 011 the horizontal rods and provided with pawls to engage said *atchets and provided with a hook, and box holding springs, each attached at one end to the ease and adapted to be attached at its other end to one of said hooks and to be applied between its ends over one ol said boxes.

15. A telephone carrying case open at one side and closed at its other side, its ends, top and bottom, a shell dividing the case into an upper and a lower compartment and provided with lugs which extend through slits in the side wall of the case and which are folded thereover, upright brace rods at the open side of the ease and fixed at their ends to the top and bottom walls and extending between their ends through apertures in the shelf, and upper and lower nuts on each of the b ace rods between which the free edge of the shelf is clamped.

16. Means for transporting telephone sets comprising a casing having a closed side, end and top and bottom walls and open at one side, a telephone battery box supporting shelf dividing the case into an upper and a luv 11' compartment, with means for supporting battery boxes in the upper compartment and other means for supporting telephone stands, complete with their receivers, in the lower compartment, a braced suspending .trame into which said case is fitted and to which it is attached, and suspending means attached to said frame and adapted to be detaehably supported on a vehicle body.

17. ."L case for carrying telephone sets having an outer side, end and top a-ndbottom walls, and open at its inner side, a shelf dividing the case into an upper and a lower compartment, rods at the open side of the ease fixed at their ends to the top and bottom walls on which the inner edge of ti e shell is supported and a suspension frame within which said case is fitted, with means thereon. to detachal'ily support. it on the upright posts of a vehicle body.

18. A telephone transporting case open at one side and divided by partitions into a plurality of compartments, brace rods extending across the open side or the case to which the partitions are attached, and means for supporting telephone sets in said compartments.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I al'lix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 24th day of v i epteniber, A. D. 1915.

JAMES AUGUSTUS MOKNIGHT.

Witnesses HARRY A. McKNrGnT,

J. H. HILL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

